Bathing apparatus



(No Model.)

P. B. BROWN.

BATHING APPARATUS.

No. 338,031. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

N. PETERS, Phamuflw n nar, Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. BARTON BROWN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

vBATHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,031, dated March 16,1886. Application filed June 8, 1885. Serial No. 167,935. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, F. BARTON BROWN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Improvement in Bathing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a perspective view of the apparatus arranged as a sitz-bath; Fig. 2, a vertical central section through the same, cutting from front to rear; Fig. 3, a vertical central section at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section through the slot for the application of the flexible support, enlarged; Figs. 5 and 6, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for bathing with special reference to sitz-baths, but applicable to other classes of bath.

In bathing apparatus as usually constructed the bath consists simply of a tub or vessel of some character with the requisite quantity of Water therein. In bathing the part exposed to the bath necessarily goes to the bottom of the bath, and if it be a sitz-bath, foot-bath, or of whatever character, the part of the person coming in contact with the bottom of the tub displaces all the water from that point, so that, in fact, there is no water beneath the bearingpoints of the person in the bath. Particularly in sitz-baths it is desirable that a considerable quantity of water should be beneath the person, and to produce this effect in the usual arrangement of bathing apparatus the bather is exposed to great discomfort in retaining his position. So in bathing the feet, the feet are placed in the bath and naturally rest upon the bottom, forcing the water from beneath the feet, and thereby only partially obtaining the benefits of the bath.

The object of my invention is an appliance whereby a support may be provided above the bottom of the bath, on which the portion to be bathed may rest and attain the advantage of having a considerable quantity of water directly beneath; and it consists in a flexible support arranged over the bath and adapted to sink therein to the required extent short of the bottom, and so that the parts of the person resting on the said support will be comfortably held in a submerged position within the body of the water, but without contact with the bottom of the bath.

In illustrating my invention I show it as applied to a sitz-bath, and in which a stool-like support for the tub is provided, so as to raise it to a convenient position for the sitting posture.

A represents the frame-work, supported on suitable legs, B, and having a bottom, 0, or support for the tub D. The height of the frame should be somewhat less than that of an ordinary chair-seat. The tub may be of any suitable shape or material, this here represented being in the form of a pan resting on the bottom 0. The top of the frame is open. At the two opposite sides and near the top a slot, (1, is formed, in length corresponding to the width of the flexible support to be introduced.

E represents the flexible support, which is best made from a strong coarse linenwhat is commonly called crash. The strip is of considerably greater length than the width across the top of the frame from side to side, and across one end of the strip a broad hem is made to form a tube, b. The end is passed down through the slot (1, and a bar, (I, in-

troduced through the hem, the bar being longer than thclength of the slot, or of greater width, and, as seen in Fig. 1, so that when in the slot the hem cannot be drawn up through the slot, but the bar forms a stop beneath the slot to hold that end of the support E. At the opposite side the material of the support is doubled, as at e, and passed down through the slot a and a like bar, f, introduced through that doubled end, as seen in Fig. 3, so as to form a stop at that end for the support E. The doubling of the material of the support should be at such a point as to permit the support to fall into the bath to the required extent short of the bottom, as seen in Fig. 3. Thus arranged, and with the bath properly filled, the person sits upon the support E, which will hold the body comfortably supported within the water, but above the bottom, and so that the parts of the person exposed will be entirely surrounded by water. The advantages of such a support for bathing purposes are too apparent to require to be particularly set forth.

The support E may be constructed with a broad hem at each end, into which the bar is introduced; but I prefer to double one end, as seen in Fig. 4, for the reason that it permits an adjustment of the support, so as to attain a greater or less depth in the bath. Both ends may be doubled, as in Fig. 4, instead of making a hem. The underlay of the material, as seen in Fig. 4, rests upon the edge of the frame, and the support drawn over that to produce so great friction upon the underlay or doubled part as to prevent possible slipping. This support may be applied in any suitable frame, so as to be set in a common bath-tub, as seen in Fig. 5, and the person placed thereon, or so that the feet may be placed thereon, or any part of the body which it is desired to expose to the water; or it may be arranged lengthwise in a common bath-tub, so that the entire body will be supported above the bottom of the tub. Therefore, while specially adapted for sitz-bath, I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to any particular class of bath.

While the method which I have shown for holding the support is by slots, through which the support may pass, the support may be attached, say. by holes and studs, as seen in Fig. 6, but it should be so as to be readilyremoved for drying or cleansing.

' With a frame such as I have shown in the illustration, a back-support is desirable, particularly to invalids. To this end I construct a back-piece, F, adapted to be set down inside the frame against a bearing, h, at the bottom, and with a tongue, 1', on the rear to set, into a corresponding notch, Z, on the frame, as seen in Fig. 2, and so that the back-piece will be firmly held to support the back of the person, but yet be removable to make the bathing apparatus more compact.

I clair'n 1. The herein described improvement in bathing apparatus, consisting of a frame with a flexiblesupport, E, attached thereto,adapted to be submerged in the water of the bath and form a support for the body above the bottom of the bath, substantially as described.

2. A frame constructed with 'slots at, and a flexible support, E, its two ends extending, respectively, through said slots, the material of the support doubled beneath the slots, combined with a removable bar through the doubled portion of the material below the slots, substantially as described.

3. The frame-work A, adapted to receive and surround the bathing-pan D, two opposite sides of the frame constructed with slots a, and the flexible support E,across said frame over the pan, itstwo ends doubled and passed through the respective slots,with a bar, f, through the doubled ends, substantially as described.

4. The frame-work A, adapted to receive and surround the bathing-pan D, two opposite sides of the frame constructed with slots a, the

flexible support E,across said frame over the pan, its two'ends doubled and passed through the respective slots,with a bar, f, through the doubled ends, and a removable back-piece, F, substantially as described.

F. BARTON BROWN.

VVit-nesses:

Quits. M. REED, H. SELDEN LORING. 

